Senior Health Care Senior Health Care

New technology and advances in medicine have dictated that we now live much longer than we used to. This is great, but we still must realize that we age anyway, and our bodies do not heal themselves very well after we reach a certain age. With all the modern advances in medicine, we need to spend some time devising effective plans for senior health care, and we need to make sure that they are both effective and economical. Now, many nuclear families have both husbands and wives working outside the home, which makes family based care for loved ones no longer an option. This article will focus on senior health care, and what needs to be done.

Areas of Concern

Probably the biggest area of concern for seniors living on a fixed income is the price of both health care and medication. In addition, the lack of initiative on behalf of the governments of leading nations is a real concern. Daily, we see on the news cuts in Medicare, Social Security benefits, and other areas that senior citizens depend on. Many seniors have an extremely difficult time trying to decide which Medicare benefit plan they should choose. Advocates for seniors include pharmacists who are aware of the senior's medications and medical needs and community centers that work with the elderly. As a person grows older, his or her mental faculties are not as sharp as when they were younger, and this help should be a top priority for senior citizen advocates.

The Key Elements of a Good Health Plan

In order for any health plan to benefit all senior citizens, some key elements need to be examined. The level and amount of costs involved in implementing a plan should be of utmost importance. Day care homes or health care centers need to be examined for infrastructure problems. The cost considerations of medicines, surgeries and other medical expenses must be figured into this equation.

The socio-economic demographics of the senior citizen population must also be examined. Different areas of the country have different issues, and it is important to recognize geographical limitations. For example, if there are more heart problems in a certain geographical location, the agency considering a senior health care plan should concentrate on setting up facilities for this particular ailment. Portions of the South, where humidity is high, tend to have more elderly with asthma and bronchial ailments. Senior living in the Southwest, where it is dry most of the time, would not see so many incidents of that ailment.

Steps To Be Taken

It is imperative that the government administration that handles these issues be cognizant of the data provided, and provide assistance in terms of funds and resources. Transparency should be a prime concern in senior health care plan formulation. Input from advocacy groups such as the AARP is necessary to help determine what is actually needed. The needs of seniors should be heard.

What Is Needed

One of the things most needed today is good health care service in a timely manner. The health care industry is in dire need of overhaul. The CBS Nightly News recently reported on a situation in hospitals called "boarding". Patients are placed in medical waiting rooms, in halls and corridors, and other places where they have to wait for treatment. It is becoming increasingly common for people to die while waiting for treatment in these overworked hospitals. For a senior, this should not be an option. There has been a massive increase in the number of disease and pain management options available in recent years, but it does not even begin to cover the need. There is great need for senior day care centers and live-in homes. They have been increasing in numbers over the past decade, but they have not been increasing fast enough to accommodate the demand.

The Quality of Services

Great care should be taken to ensure that the quality of services provided meets the senior citizen's needs. More administrative support, especially in terms of policy decisions, should be put in place. There is a real need for uniformity in the prices of such senior care services across different areas of the country. Standards and guidelines need to be put in place across the board to ensure that the quality of care is uniform. Those concerned should maintain a strong vigil on the quality of care by provided for senior citizen services.

A senior health care plan is much more than just benefits for treatment and medications. It is important to recognize that as we live longer, our medical needs increase and change. Developing the proper health care plan is something that should be of the highest priority to everyone.